Vampire
"Vampires. Immortal, blood-sucking demons. Vampires are real. They exist in every city and every state...in the world. These creatures are of the darkest parts of hell. They have the power and ability to control your mind, seduce your spirit, adapt to sunlight, and render themselves invisible. They are deadly and they must be destroyed. Most vampire lore is crap. A cross won't repel them. Sunlight however will kill them and so will a stake to the heart. But what's the worst about them is the bloodlust, which is another part that's true -- they need fresh human blood to survive. They were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late. Vampires have been in the world for centuries. Slaughtering native tribes and early settlers. But when the Europeans arrived with their slaves...the dead saw a sinister opportunity." : —Nigel, about vampires Vampires (also called The Clod Ones), as well as Blood-Suckers, Nosferatou (scientific name), or Vamps for short, are an undead, post-human, immortal supernatural species/race of immortal, undead, blood-sucking/drinking, bloodthirsty, predatory creatures/beings that were once humans until they were bitten and infected with Vampire venom. They are also basically supernaturally, magically reanimated, shape-shiftingcreatures/beings/corpses who are inhabited by the spirits of the deceased reanimated and sustained by Satanic forces, who closely resemble a living person which are cursed with a constant craving to kill and drink the blood of humans, and that drink/feed on the blood of the living or the undead to survive and maintain their vitality and powers by biting their necks with long pointed canine teeth; animals, even vampires, and especially humans. They can also transform humans into more of their kind. In order for them to survive they thrive on a living creature's blood, whether it’s human or animal blood. After becoming Vampires, an individual's natural abilities are greatly enhanced and are also bestowed powers beyond the natural which grow stronger with time, which makes it difficult for a human to defeat a vampire. Vampires feed and survive on the blood of the living, typically on human blood, and they can transform other humans into more of their kind. Some vampires choose to fight this urge and avoid feeding, but the majority choose to kill and feed as they please. Vampirism is passed on by a process known as recruiting, which involves a bitten/dying human drinking a vampire's blood. When this happens, the person becomes immortal and cannot die naturally, however he or she will be cursed with a constant thirst for human blood. Although vampires can give up blood, this is extremely difficult. Normally, vampires are indistinguishable from humans; but when thirsty or showing aggression, fangs appear in place of their canines and their eyes turn completely black. All Vampires where once originally human themselves until they were turned by another Vampire, converted into a vampire by a "maker". Vampires come in all shapes and sizes and evolve with age. Being technically deceased, their primary characteristics include a lack of a heartbeat, body heat, brainwaves, electrical impulses, need to breathe, and other bodily functions. Vampires live in close contact with humans, but retain their own laws and traditions. Reactions to vampires varies greatly. They are considered legal citizens within the United States, albeit with limited rights and strict rules. Their bodies are animated by their souls, which are kept trapped in their supernaturally-perserved corpses by the supernatural powers of vampire blood. Their bodies seem to work like living bodies, at least on a visible level, meaning they will not feel like they are dead as their bodies respond to certain things in ways of a living person would. Humans become vampires by an unknown process that involves a vampire's bite and/or a transfer of blood. All vampires originate from and are descended from the Original Vampire, who made a Faustian blood covenant with the Devil himself in exchange for power and immortality, but at the cost of his humanity and being forever condemned to life with an insatiable craving for human blood. They have been encountered by many hunters. Vampires are also arguably the most frequently recurring supernatural creatures in the series and are one of the many known supernatural creatures. Physical Appearance : "As predators, we have a glut of weapons in our physical arsenal—much, much more than really necessary. The strength, the speed, the acute senses, not to mention those like Edward, Jasper, and I, who have extra senses as well. And then, like a carnivorous flower, we are physically attractive to our prey." :: ―Alice to Bellasrc After the change, vampires' physical appearance and muscle mass is enhanced and perfected, eye color changes, and they no longer need to breathe, though they often still do so out of habit, and feel uncomfortable without their sense of smell—the first warning of an impending threat or the smell of potential prey. The ability to cut off airflow from their lungs allows them to remain submerged underwater for as long as they wish, and contributes greatly to their excellent swimming capabilities. Vampires are extraordinarily beautiful, some more attractive than others, such as Heidi and Rosalie. Their beauty is described as angelic or even god-like and They are described as humans with a very attractive physical appearance - like a Greek or Roman God, charming, polite, but surrounded by a dangerous and sinister aura.. This is one of the several features meant to attract their prey—more specifically, to attract, fascinate, and seduce, unsuspecting humans. How physically appealing their prey finds them is determined by how desirable they were as humans themselves. If an already attractive human were to be transformed, their physical beauty would be "beyond breathtaking". If they were of average interest, their attractiveness would be enhanced, but still stunningly beautiful. If however they were not particularly pleasing to the eye, they would become more beautiful (as shown with James), but this is a rare occurrence, as vampires They are immensely beautiful. Due to their beauty and superhuman abilities, normally select exceptional humans to turn. A vampire's skin is described as "chalky", alabaster, or marble (because of its texture and feel, as well as its appearance). Regardless of original ethnicity, a vampire's skin will be exceptionally pale. The hue varies slightly, with darker-skinned humans having a barely discernible olive tone to their vampire skin, but the light shade remains the same. They owe their unnatural pale complexion to their lack of blood flow; once they reach the first anniversary of their transformation, they no longer possess blood of their own (though they still become slightly flushed after feeding). When the venom spreads, it also leeches pigment in the skin, so after the transformation is complete, the vampire loses nearly all its skin color, as well as any moles, freckles, scars, tattoos, or any other part of the skin with pigment from their human life. Their strong resemblance to marble statues rests also on their skin's granite-like appearance and impenetrability, as well as the now useless need to blink—the venom-based fluid that resides in the eyes now fulfills the function of eyelids and also lubricates the eye so that it can move easily within its sockets. The vampire also is unable to produce tears after the transformation, as tears are used to remove objects harmful to the eye, and those objects would be unable to harm a vampires eye. A vampire may not move at all, if need be, and if they stay immobile for several thousand years, they will start showing the appearance of fragility or petrification, though their physical capabilities will remain unchanged. Aside from Aro's clouded, "milky" eyes, Bella notes that his skin—as well as that of his brothers, Marcus and Caius—looks like paper. However, though they feel closer to shale than granite, they are no more fragile than those remaining active. Their body's natural changes no longer occur. They cannot age or grow (things such as fingernails, toenails, and hair will no longer be able to grow. However, if an arm, leg, nose, or other such appendage should be removed, albeit painfully, it can be easily reattached. Vampire venom is noted to be the only thing that scars a vampire. Since the venom is adhesive, coating the severed end with it will help it heal faster. They show no physical or mental illnesses and defects, and their voice becomes more alluring, melodic, and seductive. Their heart no longer beats. The venom, and venom based liquids replace all of the natural chemical processes and functions in the body. It wets and pools in the mouth instead of saliva. It coats the eyes, burning through contacts after only a few hours, protecting them from damage and thus eliminating all necessity and reason to produce tears. It also lubricates them, allowing them to move around more easily within their sockets. A similar venom based liquid lubricates between the vampires cells allowing their hard stone bodies to move. If a vampire were to remain motionless over thousands of years, dust will actually begin to petrify in response to the venom based liquids, turning their skin powdery and similar to shale in texture, as well as their eyes which develop a milky film over their red irises making the eyes appear pink in color. This can be seen with the ancient Volturi members. These imperfections, however, do not affect the vampires impenetrability or compromise their vision, a vampire that stays motionless would be just as indestructible and sharp as a vampire remaining active. As vampires describe themselves, they are unchanging, "living stone" beings frozen exactly as they were when they were transformed. (Though to another vampire, the granite-skin feels smooth, soft, and warm and not the icy-hard touch a human would feel). Requiring little or no change to produce sperm, males can still breed, while female vampires cannot; their bodies no longer accommodate the changes related to pregnancy. In male vampires, the venom takes on a form so similar to seminal fluid that it can bond with a human ovum, making possible the creation of a human-vampire hybrid. The underlying biochemistry and physiology is currently unknown. Their bodily scent is based on their venom, which is pleasant, not only to humans, but to other vampires as well. A wise vampire will avoid exposure to direct sunlight in public, so as not to be seen by humans during the day, unless the sky is overcast, since their skin sparkles like diamonds; their cells have become hard and refractive as if they were so many small prisms. Vampires were commonly described as "dead". Death could be defined as a status in which the body does not have physiological functions, such as having a heartbeat or breathing. However, vampires were able to move, feed, talk and feel despite inhabiting dead bodies. The term "undead" was much more fitting because vampires, while not alive, weren't dead either. When a human was sired, their human soul left their body and a demon soul took possession of the corpse, reanimating it and altering its physiology. The demon within the vampire caused these alterations: * Required mammalian blood to maintain strength. Usually, this was human blood, but rats, pigs and otters were consumed as well, though they didn't give vampires as much nutrition or satisfaction as human blood. The blood of supernatural, human-appearing mammalian beings, such as the Children of the Senior Partners fed a vampire as well and often had added benefits (see below). Vampires did not feed on the blood of other demons: Trask, a member of the Scourge specifically stated so. * Vocalizations such as hissing and roaring reminiscent of lions, tigers, and other big cats whenever they were angered or trying to intimidate and/or frighten their opponents. * Facial alterations (pronounced brow ridges, golden/yellow eyes, disappearance of eyebrows, elongated upper canines, and pointed upper incisors) when feeding or under stressful situations such as fighting, in which a vampire might assume its real face in preparation for feeding or to intimidate the opponent. In addition to this, a vampire may show their "vampire face" at will (Connor asks Angel to show him his "second face" and Angel reluctantly obliges), when generally angered, sexually aroused, or suddenly and/or unexpectedly injured. This was the vampire's true face, and their ability to disguise themselves with the face of their human predecessor was one of the vampire's most useful powers. Harmony Kendall implied that maintaining "vampface" took effort and could not be maintained for too long.42 However, older vampires like The Master, Kakistos, and The Prince of Lies were in vamp face permanently, suggesting that the necessary effort faded over time. Over time, other deformations may also take hold, such as Kakistos' cloven hooves. However, these took many centuries - perhaps even millennium - to occur (Kakistos was from Ancient Greece, therefore at least 2500 years old). * While their hearts are unable to beat, vampires have venom flowing in their bodies which allowed the blood from their prey to their bodies to be transported. This also meant that vampires could be rendered unconscious if venom flow to the brain was interrupted (Spike did this to Drusilla43) and that vampires cannot not be intoxicated (Spike was unable to become drunk ). Male vampires were capable of having sex, so they do have venom flowing enabling an erection. * Their lungs did not absorb oxygen or any other gases; vampires are unable to drown or be asphyxiated, although their bodies may retain the breathing reflex (such as when Angeles choke-hold Spike).14 A vampire was capable of speaking and smoking, however, Angel said that he could not give artificial respiration to any drowned human ("I have no breath"48). However, the first Turok-Han held Spike's head underwater while torturing him, and Spike briefly passed out and coughed up sizable amounts of water afterward.49 * Their bodies can cast no reflection on any reflective substances such as mirrors or water by command. This also caused them to be immune to mind reading powers.50 The thoughts were there, but they created no reflection within the mind reader, making it impossible for them to read the thoughts. However, they unable to be photographed or video taped. * Even though their bodies were clinically dead, a vampire's hair was apparently still able to grow. For example, Angelus had long hair until the 20th century. By the 1920's he had short hair, but by the 1970's he was long-haired again. Spike's hair grew during his time in the Sunnydale High School basement andDracula grew a full beard during his mid-life crisis. In 1884, when killing Margaret, Angelus was bearded. Strangely, Spike did not grow a beard while hidden in the school's basement after becoming ensouled.However, as their true appearance is much more horrific, they all have common features, such as sharp, pointed, retractable teeth that emerge from their gums and extend beyond their human teeth. Their eyes turn completely black, the skin become unnaturally white with black veins visible beneath it, sharp rows of fangs and long claws grow instead of the teeth and nails. This set of fangs descend on the vampire's will, usually when about to feed, or when threatened or attacking. Some Vampires have been shown to have sharp finger nails, but nowhere near as long as the Alpha Elder Vampires or even Dracula's, which are more claw like and can be made to extend at will. Also, they have fangs that usually extend and retract willingly, though they can be stimulated to unwillingly extend. In addition, vampires are classified as being "undead". Vampires can presumably grow hair, as Eric Northman cuts his hair, Lorena Krasiki's hair is shown to vary in length. Power and Abilities Strength - Vampires are stronger than any human, and can easily break bone with fingers alone, with the strongest of their kind able to tear through steal as easy as paper, and with one pulling an inmate though the bars of their cell, ripping him to pieces with one arm alone. Speed - Vampires are faster than most cars at their top speeds, and can react to bullets fired point blank. A pair of Vampires outran the fastest Werewolf in the world. Mind Control - Described as dark tendril that pry and pierce the mind, the Vampires can read and control the minds of others with relative ease, only struggling if they come across someone with a will as great or greater than their own, and depending on how strong someone is, can completely block them out. Regeneration - The stronger and older the Vampire, the faster they'll regenerate and need less blood to fuel them. The strongest can regrow entire limbs and body parts in seconds, and are completely immune to pain, but the weakest will struggle to overcome a deep cut and will feel all the agony that goes with it. Immortality - Vampires don't age, and apart from a few weaknesses, they will never die. Age With Power - Like most monsters, Vampires get stronger with age, unlocking more abilities and getting fewer weaknesses as they age. Some Vampires can get a shortcut through most of it however, with the stronger the creator, then the stronger the creation. Vampires can also get stronger by feeding upon other monsters of magical and dark means. It's possible for a Vampire to get so strong that they have no weaknesses and will be truely immortal, but no known Vampire has ever lived that long. Bite - A Vampires bite, though lethal, can bring a worse fate than death to the victim, with the possibility of being transformed into a Vampire, or possibly a Weight, a variant of undead seen to be servant to the ones that killed them. One a human is turned into a Vampire, they will at first be starved and mad with all their new senses, and will strike out at anything with a heartbeat until satisfied. However, if the Vampire feeds their victim their own blood before biting and killing them, then they come back in control of themselves and stronger than the average first borns. Mist Transformation - Though only shown by one Master Vampire, and until then thought to be a myth, the ability to transform into mist is a great way to evade, escape and join the fray, shown by Susan Shackleford on more than one occasion. Weaknesses Sunlight - Sunlight will burn and destroy any weaker Vampire, but it seems to pose nothing more than a nuisance to older and stronger Vampires. Beheading - Cutting the head off of a Vampire is a guaranteed way to kill one, but Master Vampires can sometimes come back from it in given time. Fire - Burning the body will destroy a Vampire. Magic - Magic can harm and overpower even the strongest of Vampires. Staking - Though it wont kill them, staking them in the heart will send them into a comatose state until removed. Hunger - Starving a Vampire kill it eventually. Exhaustion - Hacking away at the Vampire will kill it eventually since you'd exhaust its body and blood, but this can take hours with the strongest of the Vampires. Vampires of Note Susan Shackleford - Susan is a Master Vampire who has been empowered unnaturally quick by feasting on other monsters and using the Old Ones artifact. With the deaths of Jaeger and all the other Master Vampires at the end of the Monster Hunter International (Book 1), she is now possibly the strongest Vampire in the world and is the only one to be known to transform into mist. She appears in books 1, 2 and 5 Raymond Shackleford IV - Though starting as a human in the first book, Raymond is seen as a Vampire in the beginning of the second book and is believed to be a Greater Vampire with how young, yet powerful he was, and though he was now undead, he still possessed much of his personality and charm, showing very little anger or hatred towards anyone unless provoked. He was killed in the final pages of book 2 by Owen Pitt.Category:Monsters